FIRE AT TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2619, 25 April 1889, Page 2

FIRE AT TE AWAMUTU.

Three Shops Burned.

A fikk broke out here at about 11.1;.> p.m. on Tuesday, by which three shops occupied by Mr Lyons, bootmakor, Mr C. A. Ogle, chemist, and Mr R. Brown, saddler, were burned. The tire was' first seen by Mr Ogle, who, having forgotten to lock his back door when leaving, returned from Kihikihi in order to do so. He at onco gave the alarm. Messrs Lewis and Tensdale were on the spot in a minute or two, and breaking open Lyon's window, got in and saved most of his stock of boots. Meantime Mr Ogle burst in Brown's door, and saved his books and a small portion of his stock. None of Ogle's stock was saved. It is not known whether the fire originated in the saddler's or chemist's, as it seemed to be about the partition between the two. Mr Brown lett his shop at a quarter to ton. He had no fire burning, nor was he smoking, so that he cannot account for the lire, supposing it to have originated in his shop. Two shops were under one roof, there being a passage about four feet wide between them and Mr Lyons' shop. All the buildings were owned by Mr Lyons, who had them and his stock insured in the South British, but we do not know the amount of his insurance. Mr Brown's stock was insured for £50, and Mr Ogle's for £70, both in the Colonial. Both will lose considerably, as only a small portion of the former's stock was saved. All his tools, a saddler's sewing machine and a machine for teasing hair were burned, while the latter loses all his stock and fittings. Mr Lyons being in Auckland, we cannot ascertain the amount for which he was insured. Mr Forbes very kindly let all the salvage stock be put in tho billiardroom of his hotol, where willing helpers soon removed it. The fire spread so rapidly that nothing could be done to save the buildings, and there was little time to save any of the stock.